Norwegian prog rockers Tusmørke never cease to me amaze me and their upcoming full-length output is another children’s album but one that possesses a slightly darker vibe than both Bydyra (2017) and Leker for Barn, Ritualer for Voksne (2019). The former was a brilliant musical concept LP whereas the latter was a strangely charming and wildly eclectic interpretation of various classic Norwegian children’s tunes. In many ways, Intetnett feels like a good combination of the two; there is a vibrant, playful, and psychedelic atmosphere present from beginning to end while the lyrics chronicle a most interesting and darkly humorous story that revolves around artificial intelligence, technological advancements, and ancient Mesopotamian gods. Intrigued? Well, you should be. It is pretty darn cool.
Intetnett is actually comprised of two musicals, more specifically Intetnett and Når Enden er Golem, but it is a cohesive opus with a natural, organic flow to it and plenty of dynamics. As always, these talented nerds have opted for a warm and lively sound and let there be no doubt that 70s-flavoured prog rock looms large in these gentlemen’s collective musical psyche. The eclectic act’s unique mixture of folk, prog, and psychedelic rock works splendidly with respect to truly bringing these children’s songs to life and infusing them with a slightly surreal aura. The words and lyrics, which are sung in their native language, often possess a certain poetic quality that is rather endearing, and that especially goes for the record’s highlights, namely ‘Synth-Etisk‘, ‘Vi er Elever‘, ‘Gudenes Krig‘, and closing track ‘Kontrakten Brytes‘.
Having said all of the above, the disc does require a certain mood and open-mindedness on the part of the listener, which is obviously something that could be said for roughly a billion other releases out there, but the point is that this LP is not necessarily one that you will find yourself listening to often or over and over again. Also, the Norwegian lyrics might render parts of it either incomprehensible or simply uninteresting to those who are not familiar with the Scandinavian languages. Intetnett is an original and entertaining slab of quirky prog rock but arguably not one that will win them a whole bunch of new fans beyond the borders of Norway. But man is this one endearing and cool!
Intetnett will be out via Karisma Records in early October this year.
